The Effectiveness of a Virtual Reality-Based Intervention on Cognitive Functions in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Single-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial
Games for Health Journal, cilt.10, sa.2, ss.109-114, 2021 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 10 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2021
- Doi Numarası: 10.1089/g4h.2020.0086
- Dergi Adı: Games for Health Journal
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psycinfo
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.109-114
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Aged, Cognition, Kinect, Rehabilitation, Virtual reality
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Objective: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a broad term for people at a stage between normal age-related cognitive decline and dementia, where cognitive problems are present but do not impair activities of daily living. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a virtual reality (VR)-based rehabilitation program on cognitive functions in MCI. Materials and Methods: Sixty-one older adults (25 men, 36 women) with MCI were randomized to the intervention group (n = 30; 70.12 ± 2.57 years) or control (n = 31; 70.30 ± 2.73 years) group. The intervention group received a VR (computer-generated interactive environments) intervention in addition to a conventional cognitive rehabilitation (CR) intervention, whereas the control group received only the CR intervention. Cognitive functions were assessed in both groups before and after the 12-week interventions by using the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment-Geriatric. Results: Between-group comparisons revealed significantly greater improvements in orientation, visual-spatial perception, visuomotor organization, thinking operation, and attention/concentration functions in the VR group than in the control group (P < 0.001 for all). Conclusion: Our results showed that 12 weeks of VR-based rehabilitation enhanced cognitive functions in older adults with MCI. Using VR applications in CR is recommended to improve cognitive functions of older adults with MCI.